Better-for-you soda brand Zevia has launched its largest marketing push to date, roping in rapper Cardi B as the star of a new national campaign called ‘Real Talk Interpreter’. The initiative spans streaming television, social media, retail displays and a consumer sweepstakes, building on the brand’s March announcement that named the artist a shareholder and long-term ambassador.
The creative strategy leans hard into Cardi B’s famously unfiltered persona. In two humour-led spots, she interrupts stilted, coded conversations to decode what people are actually trying to say, drawing a parallel between her preference for straight talk and Zevia’s use of real, natural ingredients sweetened with stevia.
The first ad features a school guidance counsellor gently telling a mother her son is ‘still finding his footing academically’. Cardi B rolls in, sipping a can of Zevia, and translates: ‘He’s saying your son is stupid.’ She then flips sides to interpret for the flustered parent. The second spot, titled ‘Potluck’, applies the same formula to an awkward community gathering. Both films were produced with creative studio De-Yan and spotlight two Zevia flavours, Orange Creamsicle and Creamy Root Beer.
Beyond broadcast, the campaign invites consumers to submit their own thorny group chats and confusing dating-app exchanges. Cardi B will offer her take on selected entries, with the best amplified across her own social channels and Zevia’s. Retail displays featuring the artist and a sweepstakes offering autographed merchandise round out the activation.
The move continues Zevia’s push to own a ‘refreshingly real’ brand position in a soda category that has grown noticeably crowded. Earlier campaigns this year mocked the artificial intelligence craze with a creepy robot coworker who short-circuited on contact with the drink. Cardi B, whose Little Miss Drama Tour is also sponsored by the brand, extends that authenticity narrative deeper into culture.
Chief marketing officer Kirsten Suarez has previously described the partnership as a deliberately long-term bet rather than a one-off endorsement. The two-year deal is designed to embed the artist inside the brand’s storytelling, not treat her as a moment-in-time celebrity face, a structure Zevia argues is more meaningful for both business and cultural relevance.
The commercial pressure behind the push is real. Founded in 2007, Zevia was an early mover in the better-for-you soda space but has since faced fierce competition from upstarts like Poppi and Olipop, which have captured strong followings among Gen Z and millennial drinkers. First-quarter net sales climbed 21.2 per cent year on year to 46.1 million dollars, growth the company has credited partly to fresh marketing investment and a distribution overhaul. A packaging refresh in March also aimed to modernise shelf presence.
By pairing a distinctive cultural voice with product truth, Zevia is betting that humour and honesty can help it hold ground against faster-growing rivals and reinforce its identity as the soda that says what it means.
